Snapshots
by gentlewinnix
Summary: A series of moments through the life of Dick and Lewis; high school sweethearts. Winnix.
1. Sharing Breath

**Author's Note:** _Lew wants to try something different._

Tags include: AU - Modern Setting, Teenage Romance, Shotgunning, Recreational Drug Use.

* * *

Dick watches as Lew lights up the spliff, taking a puff from it and leaning back with a sigh. They're in Lew's car, parked on the shoulder out where nobody drives anymore. The sun is just beginning to set, turning the sky crimson and gold out over the horizon, and Lew's got the radio on, a rock singer crooning sweetly by Dick's knee.

Lew's rolled down the windows out of courtesy, but the smell still makes Dick turn away. Still, he can't deny that he's curious. He turns back to Lew, his gaze catching on his full pink lips as he smokes the joint lazily. Dick suddenly very much wants to kiss him.

"You okay?" Lew asks, and Dick glances up, feeling caught out. He can feel his cheeks warming up and Lew smirks knowingly.

"Yeah," Dick says softly. He's not sure how to ask for what he really wants and stays silent instead. He watches Lew's long fingers as he takes up the spliff again and then takes Dick's chin in hand, inspecting him keenly like he's one of those model yachts he likes to build sometimes.

"You're something else," Lew says, and then he kisses Dick.

Dick likes being kissed by Lew more than he thinks he ought to. Lew always kisses him until he's breathless, his lips tingling, and Dick loves the way Lew's lips turn berry-dark, the way he swipes his tongue across as if to taste Dick on him.

When they break apart Dick is embarrassed to find himself panting, a weak little moan bubbling up his throat.

"Lew," he sighs.

"I want to try something," says Lew, and Dick's heart beats faster.

"Anything you want."

Lew smiles and brings the spliff to his lips again, taking a puff. He doesn't exhale at first, bringing Dick closer with a hand at his nape and kissing him. The smoke passes into Dick's mouth as Lew breathes out and Dick trembles, trying not to inhale too sharply and cough.

Lew pulls away to let Dick exhale and then slots their mouths together again, kissing him fiercely. Dick feels like he'll burst with the heat swelling in his chest, trickling down between his legs. He moans into Lew's mouth and Lew chuckles, his hand slipping down to settle on Dick's thigh.

"I love watching you come undone like this," Lew husks.

"Lew," Dick chokes out. "I want you to touch me."

"Well, since you asked so nicely..."

After, they clean up with napkins from the glove compartment they sit together and watch the sun set, Lew finishing his joint. Dick feels appropriately loose-limbed and fuzzy, and when he looks over he sees Lew looking relaxed and sleepy, too.

"Wanna grab some Taco Bell before we go home?" Lew asks.

"Nachos," says Dick.

"Sure. Uh, you should probably drive."

Dick smiles, amused. "I probably should, yes."

When they pull up to the drive-thru, Lew has fallen asleep with Dick's jacket over him, and the odor of the smoke is only faintly there. It'll be replaced with the smell of Taco Bell seasoning soon enough.


	2. Stay a While

**Author's Note: **_Lew's parents are away on vacation. He and Dick take advantage of the privacy._

Tags include: AU - Modern Setting, Sleepovers.

* * *

"Going my way?" Lew teases.

Dick drops into the passenger seat, smiling. "Wherever you take me," he responds, and pulls the door shut.

"I was thinking Taco Bell and the convenience store."

"Quesadillas and snacks," Dick affirms. "And then?"

Lew grins as he starts the car. "How do you feel about '80s night?"

"Hm," says Dick. "I dunno."

"You wound me," Lew mock-gasps. "I picked up a few of the classics at Family Video yesterday."

Dick smiles indulgently. "And what would those be?"

"_The Breakfast Club_, _Ferris Bueller's Day Off_, and _Back to the Future_," Lew lists off, smiling.

"Never seen a one."

"No way." Lew turns to look at Dick. "C'mon, you're joking."

Dick shakes his head. "My parents always put on MeTV."

"Oh my god," Lew moans, "how can you watch that '50s garbage?"

Dick shrugs. "I like _MASH_ and _Hogan's Heroes_."

Lew nods. "Those are okay," he relents. "But you're seriously missing out if you haven't even seen _The Breakfast Club_, Dick."

"Well," says Dick, "that's what I have you for." He smiles at Lew, the smile he never shows anyone else, and Lew's heart beats faster to think of it. Dick Winters sees something special in him, something worthy of his love and affection. Lew blushes and focuses on the road, feeling overwhelmed.

At the store they pick up candy; chocolate bars for Lew and a bag of Swedish Fish for Dick. His eyes catch on the ice cream on their way to the register and Lew indulges him, picking up a pint of vanilla ice cream and a liter of A&W root beer.

Lew swipes his card despite Dick's protests, but at Taco Bell Dick puts a ten dollar bill in Lew's palm and refuses to take it back.

Duly prepared, they drive to Lew's aunt's house up in the hills, the upper class neighborhood where everyone lives on credit. Lew's parents—who had been visiting for a month—are gone, having just left for their annual spring break trip to California, so Lew fumbles for his keys and lets Dick into the darkened house. Fitzgerald comes running up to them, barking eagerly, and Lew smiles.

"I know you just ate, Fitz," he says with a chuckle, patting the golden retriever's head affectionately. "Aunt Nixon never leaves without feeding you first."

Still, he pours some treats in the dog's bowl.

They eat their quesadillas at the table, but after that they throw blankets down and sprawl out on the floor in Lew's room with their snacks in a pile beside them. Lew puts on _The Breakfast Club_ first, insisting it's the best of the three, but they both know they won't be paying attention for long. Dick's mom had banned them from fooling around in the Winters' home after Ann had walked in on Dick and Lew "wrestling" on Dick's bed and tattled on them. They'd been clothed, but it was still mortifying.

At Lew's house, it's different. Doris and Stanhope don't care what Lew does as long as he isn't getting in any trouble, and Lew's sister Blanche is old enough that she has sleepovers with her friends every weekend. Still, they don't do much more than kiss and spoon under the covers until they're alone. Lew's always tense and vaguely distraught when his parents are around, and Dick isn't inclined to pursue anything when Lew isn't able to enjoy it to the fullest. More often than not, they go for quickies in Lew's car, parked somewhere out of town.

As the film starts, Lew tucks himself up against Dick's chest with a sigh, pulling his favorite blanket over them.

"I'm glad they're gone," he murmurs. "It's gotten bad."

Dick rubs the back of Lew's neck, humming. "I've been worried about you," he confesses quietly.

"It's okay," says Lew. But they both know it's not. Dick leans in to kiss Lew's brow, curling an arm around the slighter boy, and Lew sighs contentedly. But they don't take it any further, focusing on the movie as it unravels. Lew drowses until Dick tears opens his bag of Swedish Fish halfway into watching.

"Gimme," mumbles Lew, reaching up blindly, and Dick scoffs.

"You're a spoiled brat," he says. But he gives Lew a handful of the gummy fish with a fond smile, and by the time the credits roll through, they've gone through most of the candy. Lew puts _Back to the Future_ in the DVD player and they take a bathroom break before starting the movie.

This time, however, finds them necking and tugging clothes off before the introduction has finished. After, Lew presses his face into Dick's shoulder and cries, shaking and gasping in the taller boy's arms. It doesn't last for long, Lew calming down within a few minutes, but Dick is worried nonetheless.

"What's goin' on?" he asks gently, rubbing Lew's back.

"'S just- I missed you," Lew sniffles, wiping his eyes. "I feel like I'm suffocating here."

Dick frowns, pulling Lew closer. "Just one more year," he says. "Then we'll be in college." It sounds like an empty promise even to his ears, and he frowns. He's not sure what else to say, though.

"Feels so far away," Lew sighs.

They fall silent for a while, watching the rest of the movie before moving to clean up, throwing their soiled clothes in the wash and taking a quick shower. Dick had brought a change of clothes along with his own pajamas, and Lew swipes one of his T-shirts, padding around in nothing but that and his briefs as he goes to fetch the ice cream. It's midnight already, but together they make root beer floats and crush up the chocolate bars up to mix into the rest of the ice cream.

Their final movie, _Ferris Bueller's Day Off_, is watched in sleepy silence. They'd migrated from the floor to Lew's bed after finishing their dessert, and Dick falls asleep first, not one to stay awake past midnight. Lew curls up closer to him until he, too, lets sleep overtake him.

In the morning, Dick will wake him up with some form of breakfast - eggs and bacon, if he's inclined to work as much, or else oatmeal and toast. He'll have fed Fitz and taken him outside already, and in the comfortable morning silence of the house they'll have nothing better to do than kiss languidly for a while and go shower when Dick inevitably complains of Lew's oily skin and greasy hair.

And after that - the possibilities are endless. But one thing is certain- whatever Lew decides to do, it'll be with Dick there at his side.


	3. Winter Gloam

**Author's Note: **_Lew's struggling with depression as the end of their first semester of college approaches. Dick does all he can to help, but he's not a professional._

Tags include: AU - Modern Setting, Depression, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Hurt/Comfort, Underage Drinking, College.

* * *

Dick closes the door with a weary sigh, quickly bending to untie and shuck off his snow-covered boots. They're nearing finals week now, and everyone's cramming for exams- but he works, and Target is cramming for the Christmas rush. So he hasn't had much time to study at all, and he hasn't been home much to see Lew, either.

At the moment, Lew is asleep on the couch with the TV on, muted. Dick's smile fades when he sees the empty beer cans strewn across the table, the mostly empty pack of cigarettes next to Lew's car keys. Lew's only just turned 18, but it seems he's picked up a number of adult vices already. When Dick comes closer he sees that Lew has been crying, his eyes puffy and red even closed in sleep. His heart aches with regret and he pulls a blanket from under the table, throwing it over Lew's slight form and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Dick retreats to their bedroom, peeling off layers of clothes soaked in snow and sweat until he's bare, then goes to shower. The hot water is a relief against his icy skin, and he melts into it with a deep sigh. The heater in his car has been broken since the spring, but he'd forgotten about it over the summer and can't afford to fix it yet. Lew has offered his own car many times, but Dick politely refuses, knowing how sensitive Lew is to the cold, and how attached he is to his car.

He steps out of the shower and towels off, brushes his teeth, then runs into Lew on his way out.

"Hi," he says, blinking. "Thought you were out for the night."

Lew grunts, tugging the blanket tighter around his shoulders. "Hav' to pee," he replies slowly, and Dick steps aside. Lew is drunk, he can tell, but he doesn't say anything.

"All yours," he says, and watches Lew disappear into the bathroom. He goes to get dressed, tugging on boxers and a T-shirt, and climbs in bed. Lew joins soon after, pitching the blanket and all of his own clothes, save his briefs, and slipping under the covers. He flips off the light.

They lie in silence, not touching each other. It's all wrong, Dick thinks, but he doesn't know what to do about it. Lew's been distant, quiet, since the days started getting shorter and his shifts longer.

"Dick?" Lew asks eventually, his voice small.

"Yeah, Lew?"

"Am I...a burden?"

Dick rolls over, startled. Lew's looking at him, biting his lip, eyes glistening with tears. "No, Lew, you're not," Dick soothes, reaching over to cup Lew's cheek. "You know I love you," he adds sincerely. "I've just been busy, sweetheart."

"It's not that," Lew mumbles, twisting the sheets up in his fingers. "It's just- you have all these new friends, a-and a good job, and you're passing all your classes with barely any effort, and-" Lew chokes himself off, shaking his head. "I-I feel like I'm on the outside. I feel like I'm just holding you back."

"Lew," Dick protests softly, sliding his hand down to Lew's arm, "I want you here. But if that's not what you want-"

"No," Lew chokes out. "No, I want to be here too, Dick, it's just- I-I just feel like I can't keep up with you, a-and…"

"Lew, sweetheart, everyone goes at their own pace. Just 'cause you haven't gotten as far ahead as me yet doesn't mean anything. You'll find your way in eventually."

"I thought everything would be better in college," Lew whispers, a tear streaking down his cheek. "But it just feels like I'm stuck in the mud."

Dick smiles faintly. "College is just college, and Pennsylvania is just Pennsylvania. What's _better _is right here. This apartment. Us, together. The people I've made friends with." Dick rubs Lew's arm slowly, watching the expressions on his lover's face. "Once class is out we should all have dinner together sometime. They want to meet you, Lew. I bet you and Harry would get along famously."

Lew squirms a bit, biting his lip. "Maybe," he says. "My last final is next Thursday."

Dick smiles, wider now. "Well, just think about it. And, Lew..." Dick pauses, wetting his lips. "If you need to...y'know, get professional help...you know you can do that, don't you? No one will think any less of you."

Lew stills. "Dick...do you...do _you _think I need help?" he asks, his voice small.

Dick's smile fades. "Lew..." he sighs. "I can see that you're not coping with your feelings very well," he says. "And I think you're depending on me too much to make you feel better when I can't fix the real problem."

Lew stares back at Dick, his expression blank. "Okay," he says after a while, and rolls over, his back turned to Dick. "Good night."

Dick kisses Lew's shoulder. "Good night, Lew."

* * *

Lew isn't as distant through the rest of finals week, but he's quiet; either studying or sleeping whenever Dick is home. Some nights he still comes to bed smelling of alcohol and ash, but it seems to have abated somewhat, and after his finals are all finished he comes home with a psychiatrist's note for a prescription. Dick hugs him tight and kisses his cheek, and Lew flushes, squirming uncomfortably.

"I'm proud of you," Dick assures Lew. "I think this will be good for you."

"I hope so," says Lew.

"It will be. I'm sure of it." Dick smiles. "Oh, that reminds me- Harry and the guys were thinking about going out for dinner tomorrow night. Since everyone will be finished by then. You think you'll be up for it?"

"Sure," says Lew, despite the anxiety Dick knows he's feeling. Dick pulls Lew in for another hug, and Lew is receptive this time, pressing his cheek into Dick's shoulder. Dick realizes he's trembling, and his heart clenches.

"You'll be okay," Dick soothes. "I'm right here, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere."

Lew nods, his lips quivering, and Dick kisses his cheek.

"Let's take a nap," he suggests. "I'll make you breakfast for dinner tonight, would you like that?"

Lew nods again, managing a tiny smile. "French toast," he says.

"French toast it is," Dick agrees.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Like the last part in this series, this work is very personal for me. The outcome of Dick and Lew's relationship here is not the same that my experience was, but I like to think this is what could have happened if I'd just gotten help for myself and backed off for a while. Extreme codependency isn't healthy for anyone and your partner/friend is not your therapist. It's okay to look for support but don't rely on someone else to keep you happy.


	4. Spring Fever

**Author's Note: **_Dick catches the flu. _As you will figure out, I wrote this in April. The weather is still crazy, but at least it's not snowing one day and seventy degrees the next anymore. Now we just have tornadoes. Yayyy. Seriously, the midwest has its own climate.

Tags include: AU - Modern Setting, Sickfic, College, Hurt/Comfort.

* * *

"Aw, come on," Lew groans, and Dick turns to look at the other boy.

"Snowing again?" he asks, scrubbing at his hair with a towel.

"Yeah," Lew grovels, letting the curtain back. "It's April, dammit. It should be raining, not this bullshit."

Dick shrugs. "Global warming," he says, and stands up, going to the cabinet for underwear. He feels Lew's eyes on him and casts a glance over his shoulder, smiling. Lew's pink in the cheeks, like he always gets when he sees Dick casually nude, and Dick is happy to see his lover feeling like himself again.

"I've got class in ten minutes," Lew sighs. "If not for that, I'd ravish you, babe."

Dick smiles wider. "Drive safe," he says, and emerges with a pair of briefs, socks, and jeans. Lew pecks his cheek and scoops up his backpack before leaving. Dick hears the door click shut and sighs, feeling unusually tired and somewhat sore. He pulls on his clothes and picks a shirt from the closet- one of Lew's old band t-shirts and a waffle weave undershirt- and packs up for his own morning classes.

* * *

Sometime during English he feels a tickle at the back of his throat and excuses himself to get a drink. It doesn't help much and he resolves to ignore it, focusing on the professor's lecture. At lunch he gets tea instead of milk, and he feels Roe's eyes on him as he eats. The med student is painfully perceptive, but he assures him he's fine, that it's just allergies.

"Flu's been going around," Roe retorts. "You take care, alright?"

"Of course," Dick says, and heads off to his next class. He feels fine throughout, but after he's a little tired, and his throat is hurting again. He stops at the pharmacy on the way home, picking up some herbal tea and cold medicine just in case.

When he comes home Lew is there already, bustling about in the kitchen. Since he'd started therapy he'd been taking on new hobbies, actual cooking being a more significant one. Dick's stomach growls at the smell of food filling the apartment and he comes up behind Lew, curling his arms around the boy's waist.

"Hi," says Lew. "Tell me if this pasta's done." He raises a fork to Dick's mouth, and Dick tastes it.

"Hmm..still a little crunchy," he observes, swallowing. "How was therapy?"

"Good," says Lew. "She asked me some stuff about you, how long we've been together."

"Not long enough," Dick hums, kissing behind Lew's ear. "I missed you."

Lew chuckles. "I missed you too. But dinner comes first."

Dick can't object to that. So he takes out the bowls and forks, and they sit down at the couch and eat while the evening news forecasts one more blast of cold through the week, and after they've finished eating and done the dishes Dick lets himself be led into bed with Lew, where they curl up and kiss tenderly until it turns to more. It feels like making up for lost time, for those months when it had gotten to be too much and Lew wouldn't be touched, wouldn't accept the love and affection Dick wanted to give. He is different, now; he'd warned Dick that the bad things are still there, but he seems to be at peace with most of it and welcomes Dick's affections again.

In all of their lovemaking and talking afterwards, Dick had forgotten his sore throat, and he falls asleep without a spare thought given towards the issue.

* * *

In the morning, though, he blinks awake slowly to see Lew's concerned face.

"Dick?" Lew frowns. "You slept through your alarm."

Dick groans, reaching for his phone, and sees that he's already missed half of his class.

"Christ," he says, and his voice comes out as a hoarse croak, grating badly against his throat. He's sore, his bones feel like they weigh a thousand pounds, and his nose is stuffed.

"You seemed fine last night," Lew murmurs, rubbing Dick's bare shoulder. "Why didn't you say something?"

"Thought I was jus' thirsty," Dick mumbles. "It wasn't like this." He tries to sit up, and falls back with a groan. "Can you get me a tissue?" he asks.

"Course," says Lew, climbing out of bed. He leaves the room, coming back with the cold medicine and a glass of water as well as a box of tissues. Dick groans, and Lew chuckles. "You bought it, not me," he says.

"Tastes gross," Dick whines, but lets Lew sit him up anyway. He drinks the medicine quickly and washes it down right away, grimacing. Lew offers him the tissues and he blows his nose.

"Geez, you sound miserable," Lew says, rubbing Dick's shoulder sympathetically. "Can I get you anything else before I go?"

"Breakfast?" Dick asks, looking up at his lover. "Eggs and ham," he says.

"Sure thing," says Lew. He pulls the blankets up over Dick before disappearing into the kitchen. Dick dozes a bit, gazing out the window sleepily while Lew cooks. It's a testament to how bad he's feeling that he hasn't gotten up and tried to go to class anyway. Lew's skipped days already just because he wanted to, but Dick takes his attendance seriously. He promises himself he'll just take today and Friday off, and by Monday he'll be back.

Lew breaks him out of his reverie. "Eggs and ham," he says, setting a plate on Dick's lap. "I brought orange juice, too." He sets the cup on Dick's bedside table. "Don't worry about the dishes, just set them here and I'll clean up for you when I get back, okay? You need to rest." Lew kisses Dick's cheek. "I have to go now."

"Okay," Dick says, pressing his cheek against Lew's and closing his eyes briefly. "I'll try."

Lew pats Dick's knee and turns to go. Dick tucks into his meal, eating slowly until he's full, and sets everything aside. He lies down again and drifts into sleep.

* * *

Dick wakes again a few hours later. He pulls on his pajamas and goes to the bathroom to relieve himself. He contemplates the shower but decides against it, washing his face in the sink. He's hit with a wave of exhaustion when he straightens and groans, frustrated. Dick hates being sick, yet he's more prone to it than anyone he knows.

Before he returns to bed, he takes an apple from the bowl on the counter. He curls up in bed, emailing his professors about his absences as he nibbles on the apple. There's a few texts from the guys on their group chat, and he opens it to see several "feel better soon" messages and a ridiculous sticker of two dogs hugging from Harry. It earns a smile from him, and he texts back with a simple thank-you.

Dick's slept too much now to slip back into it, so he drags up his laptop and works on homework. Lew would laugh at that, he imagines, tell him homework isn't meant to be done until after you recover, but Dick knows how far behind that would put him. So near to the end of the semester already, that wouldn't benefit anyone.

So he sets to typing until his exhaustion is too strong to ignore.

* * *

On Friday, Dick wakes up feeling even worse. He'd barely been able to sleep, congested and sore and too-hot despite all the medication Lew had pumped into him, but now he's developed a wracking cough and his ears are blocked and sore, too.

Lew isn't the best at caring for other people past bringing him medication and food, and Dick spends the day in bed again, knowing he needs to go to the doctor but too miserable to get up for much more than a bathroom break. He puts on the TV and sleeps most of the day away.

* * *

Saturday morning comes and Lew drags him out of bed. Dick's woozy and hacking up a lung in the shower as Lew supports him and washes his hair, but Dick's pride flares and he insists on dressing himself, at the very least. Lew escorts him to his car and drives them to the doctor's, where they wait almost an hour to be seen, Dick huddled against Lew's side and his face covered with an embarrassing disposable mask.

Dick walks out with a prescription for his double ear infection and the vague knowledge that "it's not strep throat, but it's a virus of some kind," which he finds incredibly irritating. At least they gave him the pills.

They stop at McDonald's on the way to the pharmacy and Dick asks for chicken nuggets. He nibbles on his fries listlessly out in the car while Lew gets his prescription, and back at home Dick finishes his food and lies down to sleep some more.

* * *

It isn't until Tuesday that Dick starts to feel better, and Harry and the guys hoot and holler at his return but sober quickly when he bursts into a coughing fit and nearly falls over with dizziness.

"Jesus, Dick, you should've stayed home," Harry comments, worried. Dick sniffs and rubs his nose.

"I've been gone too many days," he says, voice sounding nasally and rough. "And anyway, Lew's getting sick of me hogging the bed all day," he tries for humor, but the guys look concerned more than anything. Still, he makes it through the day alright, collapsing in bed as soon as he's home with a long sigh. Lew smiles down at him fondly, closing his book and resting a palm on Dick's head.

"Hi, sleepy," he says. "Feeling better yet?"

"Tired," Dick sighs. "But yeah, I actually feel alive today."

"Good." Lew bends down, kissing Dick's temple. "I was gonna order Chinese."

Dick's face scrunches up, and Lew laughs.

"I'll get extra crab rangoon," he promises, and Dick considers it.

"Okay," he relents. "I'll eat it. But I like it better when you cook."

Lew just smiles, ruffling Dick's hair and getting up to go order their food.


	5. Snow Day

**Author's Note:** _Dick and Lew share a snow day._ Fill for Fluff Bingo 2019.

Tags include: AU - Modern Setting, College, Fluff, Snow Day.

* * *

On a Tuesday in January, Lew wakes up later than usual. He rolls over and finds Dick still in bed beside him, scrolling on his phone. Lew drapes his arm over Dick's waist and hooks his chin over Dick's shoulder, watching his Facebook feed sleepily.

"Good morning," Dick says. "Class was cancelled."

"All day?"

"Yep. And tomorrow. It's in the negatives outside."

"Ugh," Lew groans, and Dick laughs.

"You skip class all the time, why are you complaining?"

"I can't exactly do anything fun in this weather. I'd actually rather be in class," Lew says, letting out a long-suffering sigh. "Now I'm stuck inside all day with _you_."

Dick chuckles, clicking his phone off and rolling onto his back. "What's so bad about that?" Dick asks as Lew settles on his chest. He reaches up to pet Lew's hair.

"You've got no flaws, no vices, and no sense of humor," Lew says, the bite quickly leaving his voice as Dick's fingers run over his scalp. "You're no fun."

"I'm offended," Dick says, but Lew can hear the smile in his voice. "Is this how you really feel?"

"Yes," Lew says, and can't help the grin that cracks across his face. "I've been dating you for three years, and I can't stand you, Dick." He giggles, pressing his face into Dick's skin.

"Well, then," Dick says, his voice rumbling in his chest. "I guess I'll just have to show you my favorite vice." His hand finds Lew's cheek and Lew sits up, letting Dick bring him in for a sound kiss. They part for air, and Dick's cheeks pink as he smiles.

"Ooh, I like that one, too," Lew says with a grin.

* * *

After they've herded each other into the shower and gotten dressed, Lew makes them hot cocoa and french toast for breakfast. They eat together by the window, watching snow blow across the alley between their building and their neighbors' and enjoying the silence.

It's rare for them to have a day together like this; Dick still works part-time at Target, and has classes full-time, and Lew has a job now, too, at the college bookstore. He can't help still feeling that he isn't doing enough, sometimes- he doesn't really talk to any of his coworkers, isn't that close to anyone other than Dick. He'd met Dick's friends a few times and gotten along with them well enough, though he'd sensed a bit of surprise from them when Dick had introduced him, and wondered what they had been expecting. Someone less troubled, and more sociable, perhaps. He gets along well enough with Harry, anyway, and that's enough for him on a good day.

Dick sees Lew thinking- his brow creases, and a small frown forms on his lips, he'd told Lew once- and he nods at Lew's plate.

"You should eat," he says kindly. "It's really good, Lew."

"Yeah. Thanks." Lew picks up his silverware and cuts into the toast. He'd garnished it with powdered sugar and syrup, and it's become a soggy mess already, but he cleans his plate without a complaint, and takes his meds with his cocoa. Dick smiles and stands, clearing the table and rinsing the dishes, and Lew looks outside again, thoughtful.

"We should build a snowman," Lew says, and Dick chuckles.

"It's negative seven outside. You'll freeze your ears off, and never let me hear the end of it."

Lew grumbles. "It's something to do."

"Chin up," Dick says. He finishes with the dishes and comes over to Lew, kissing the top of his head. "I can get the car warmed up. We'll go for a drive."

"I'd like that," Lew says, smiling.


End file.
